


Round and Round We Go

by AbraxasBelzebub



Series: Round and Round We Go [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Awkwardness, Feels, M/M, Modern AU ?, Strained Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:01:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23095267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbraxasBelzebub/pseuds/AbraxasBelzebub
Summary: A shattered relationship, left behind in the past. Ignored and forgotten. Unattended matters however, have the pesky habit to come back and haunt those who didn't find closure.
Relationships: Eustass Kid/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Round and Round We Go [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1655179
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	Round and Round We Go

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Eiichiro Oda, I'm only borrowing them for my nefarious machinations! :D
> 
> It's largley unbetaed so far so there may be some errors! Feel free to point them out! 
> 
> Otherwise I am no medical doctor (not any other as far as I know XD), so some of the emedical stuff in this may not be accurate while other is pure (science-) fiction. :D 
> 
> Enjoy the awkwardness and let me know how you liked it ! X3 <3

**Chapter One**

**_Let the Dead and Buried Raise_ **

  
  


It was just the end of August and yet on his way to work, Law spotted a few Halloween decorations in some shop-windows. He shook his head slightly at how ridiculous it felt seeing pumpkins and skulls when it was still so warm and mostly sunny.

  
  


But it wasn’t sunny today. It was the first truly grey and depressing day this summer, seemingly announcing the coming of Autumn. Personally he wasn’t much of a sun-lover anyway, especially in the past couple of years the sun brought unexpectedly painful memories.

  
  


He sighed heavily getting into the next Starbucks to get his Coffee fill before arriving at the Hospital. There was nothing very significant waiting for him there, and hoping for tragedies felt morally wrong, so he took his time. Even though, ultimately he aimed to help to fix those tragedies as good as possible. Or even beyond what was possible sometimes.

  
  


***************

  
  


Kid was grumpier than usual this morning while making himself a black tea so black it could easily be mistaken for a coffee. He had an important appointment in a few hours and the nervousness was nagging at him.

He took a sip of his beverage and grimaced. Way too bitter.

He reached for the sugar, when the melody of an e-guitar version of Beethoven's 5thresounded in the room. The red-head peeked at his smartphone to see a text from Killer, who encouraged him and reminded that he should call him afterwards, to tell him how everything went. Kid smiled at that, the blond was the best friend anyone could have, always looking after him.

  
  


After sipping his tea and exchanging a few silly texts with Killer, he felt a little better and ready to go on and push away the slight anxiety building up in him at the back of his mind.

  
  


***************

  
  


As expected there wasn’t much on his surgery schedule today, he had to do some minor standard procedures in the afternoon and check on some patients before that, otherwise he could catch up on writing reports.

  
  


After making sure all his current patients were all right and talking about the next steps to be made on their way to recovery, Law was on his way back to his office. He was walking down the hall, making a list in his mind of the reports he needed to do next, when a colleague of his stopped him.

  
  


“Law! Oi Trafalgar!” Doctor Cutty, commonly known as Franky to his colleagues and friends, called out to him. The dark haired stopped and turned to the tall and bulky orthopaedic surgeon and one of the rare specialist to the new and highly experimental branch of Biocybernetics and Cyborg technology.

  
  


“Good morning Cutty-ya, what can I help you with?” He said politely, his face passive as usual. “Always so formal Law, just call me Franky!” The blue-haired man said with a booming voice and a grin on his face, seamlessly continuing. “So I have this patient that I am currently talking to about an experimental project. We've got to a stage, where I'm adjusting the prototype of an artificial limb, so the potential surgery to attach it could be attempted in about half a year!" If Law didn't know better the unbound enthusiasm of the man in front of him would let him call the security to check if a patient from the closed ward went missing. But in the past two years Law got to know doctor Cutty Fram and his work and knew the genius of his technological-medicinal inventions. And most importantly, he got used to the man's weird quirks.

"We need to do all kinds of check-ups before that though! Probably long-running tests too to minimize the danger of any side effects. And one of the most important things to check up thoroughly is the powerhouse!” Franky thumped his giant fist against his chest in the general heart area. “So I was looking for you because you are the best!” Franky was still grinning at Law.

  
  


Law waited for Doctor Cutty to continue, but the other wasn't saying anything, looking at him with a beaming grin contrasting his blank stare.

  
  


Then it dawned on Law. "You didn't mean right now, did you?" The other doctor run his hand, through his blue hair, meticulously styled into an over the top pompadour and his smile grew even brighter. "No better time than right now friend Law!"

The Cardiologist blinked a few times looking at Franky. “You do realize Franky-ya, that something like that needs thorough check ups, an ECG, an Echo, TEE and so on. I cannot do those spontaneously and you know it. Not to mention that I don't know _anything_ about this patient of yours, nor about your project.” His voice didn't raise, but on the inside he felt stressed, just thinking about all the logistics and all the preparation time he'd need for what he was just asked for.

Franky just waved his hand. “We could start with just a normal check-up. You know, the standard body-check. That'd also be the perfect opportunity to meet the patient!”

  
  


Laws eyes narrowed, staring at the blue-haired man, who in his passion sometimes tended to act more like a crazy scientist than anything else, improvising way too much for his taste. “I don’t even know how invasive the procedure you intend to do is, I don’t know the patient's history and what risks may be involved.” His brows furrowed, as he felt a headache incoming.

  
  


Law closed his blue-grey eyes and sighed, breaking the others confident silence and making him speak up. “Fine! How about we talk it through afterwards? My patient is waiting right now, let's not make him wait any longer! I can give you his medical record after and explain what we are planning. You could also recommend some other specialist that we might need and start forming a battle plan!” After a moment of silence and a very sceptical look from Laws side Franky added. “Please? Pretty please? I know you are not entirely the iceberg you are pretending to be Law and besides I know you want in on something challenging! It has been some unusually calm few weeks for you and I know you get restless with too much time to think! Here we'll have some suuuperrr fun project to work on!” Franky smiled at Law. A genuine and hopeful smile.

  
  


Law lowered his eyes after a moment, half a smile showing itself on his face. He wasn’t very social, but he worked hard the past two years to get a little better, at least with people he even vaguely cared for. At this point Franky belonged to the few people Law was getting along with well. Despite the crazy attitude the bulky blue-haired man was more than competent in his field, which gave Law an opportunity to geek out about the newest medical breakthroughs and theories. Additionally, his acquaintance created a steady flow of requests for team-ups, since the biocybernetic genius stayed stubbornly unfazed by Laws rather cold demeanour.

And on the other hand, Franky's enthusiasm was rather contagious.

“Fine, but we will have a long talk later and you’ll answer all of my questions. ALL. I mean it Franky.” The blue-haired smiled brightly at Law and stroke this weird pose of his, where he stretched both of his arms above his head, and leaned his whole body to the side. For some reason it reminded Law of a living bastard child of the Eiffel Tower and the crooked tower of Pisa. “SUUUPEEEERRRRR!”

Law shook his head, urging Franky to lead on, part of him already regretting his rushed decision. He should know better, knowing Franky's _projects._ Unfortunately the blue-haired doctor was right and Law was getting restless with not much going on at the hospital lately.

  
  


***************

  
  


Kid took the bus for his appointment at the Raising Phoenix Hospital, trying to ignore the nervousness as good as he could. The doctor who he was going to meet, told him that at this point in time the design for his prosthetic arm would be mostly finished.

His throat went dry again.

After the accident he was sure it was the end for him doing anything involving two functioning arms ever again. Until Killer dragged him to this crazy doc, who not only was a brilliant medical scientist but also one of the few specialists in terms of electronic prosthetics and body enhancements. The experimental methods of doctor Cutty Framm and their success quota, gave him hope.

Every time he got a call from Franky, as the doc insisted on being called, he expected to hear that the arm he has been promised wasn't possible after all. Not that he'd blame the other, it just sounded too good and way too complicated.

But losing that hope was only partially what made him feel so anxious. The past year or so since Franky started working on this new project, flew by incredibly quickly. Or so it seemed now, as he walked from the bus stop towards the modern looking building of the hospital. It seemed surreal that somewhere in the kooky doctor's lab, a whole new limb was waiting for him. He wondered how it will feel like and how will doing everything with it feel like. What if he'd hate it, or just couldn't cope with how different it felt.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door to Franky's office.

  
  


***************

On their way Franky told Law that the patient was an amputee and it’d be good if he took a look at the arteries around the amputated part, beside just listening to the heart and measuring the pulse and whatever Law could determine without any technical devices.

  
  


They entered the check-up room, while Franky’s pager started beeping, the blue-haired doctor looked first down at the device, concern on his face and then up at Law and Kid.

  
  


“Sorry, I really need to go, it’s an emergency! Law this is Mister Eustass Kid, Kid this is Doctor Trafalgar Law, the best Cardiologist in the world! I trust you’ll manage this without me. See you two later!” Franky grinned brightly at them and run out of the door to quickly arrive to where he was needed.

  
  


Meanwhile, Law stood shocked in place and stared at Kid who was still looking at where Franky disappeared behind the door. The crazy doctor couldn’t know that but the introductions weren’t necessary since Kid and Law knew each other rather well. Or they used to know each other once…

  
  


There he was. Such a familiar place and such a familiar frame sitting there casually. Two worlds clashing with each other, making his head spin slightly. Everything like he remembered it and yet… entirely different.

  
  


The bright golden-yellow eyes and the non-existent brows looming over them in a gloomy way, the lips that he was used to seeing painted in wine-red lipstick were a natural pale pink now, yet it felt off almost giving the other a sickly feel enhanced by the shadows cast by Kids prominent features. The blood-red hair was exactly the same as Law remembered, standing upright held back by a black bandanna. Forever untamed. The tall, bulky body and long legs seemed roughly unchanged in the jarring contrast of the missing left arm. It seemed surreal and the thoughts of the cardiologist became dizzy for a moment. He pulled his attention back to the face, so he wouldn't stare at the stump. Taking a closer look, the eyes seemed to glow against the contrasting deep shadows under them, not encircled by eyeliner like Law was used to see them. Long, gnarly scars interrupted the once flawless, pale skin that seemed even paler now. The terrible marks were running up from the red-heads forehead, over his left cheek and all the way down disappearing under the shirt.

  
  


There was chaos in Laws head, questions and regrets and anger even. And pain. So much pain. The dark haired swallowed reflexively, willing the rising panic to get swallowed too. He needed to stay professional. He needed to stay contained. Feelings won't help here, nor will they change the past. The black-haired looked up, willing his sight to focus again and realized that now Kid was staring back at him, the pale face unreadable, lips pressed firmly together. Or has he just forgotten how to read it after two years?

  
  


Law cleared his throat and came closer, each step feeling like eternity under the glowing, watchful eyes. The cardiologist invoked all of his willpower to try to be professional about it, after all he _had_ seen worse. _But not from anybody he used to be so close to_. An annoying voice in his head insisted. He squished the voice, schooling his face into the usual passive mask of indifference.

  
  


He cleared his throat once more and spoke. “May I start the check-up now Eustass-ya?” He was somewhat proud of the fact that his voice remained steady and calm. Unmoved by emotions.

  
  


He knew that theoretically he shouldn’t be the one doing the check-up. Even though their relationship ended years ago his reaction just now showed that the past relationship and Kid's well-being still affected him more than he expected. Yet he was selfish, and personally wanted to make sure that behind this broken shell, the heart was still beating unaffected by anything, and that his past lover wouldn’t turn out a vengeful ghost or hallucination summoned by regrets.

  
  


After what seemed like another eternity the red-head nodded slowly, still not saying anything nor moving. In fact Law realized that the other didn’t say a word since Law came in and another wave of panic rushed through his body. What if he lost his voice too? He didn’t see any scars around the neck that would indicate anything but still. What if the last time he heard that strong, rough voice was in a terrible fight full of ugly accusations.

  
  


At least on the outside he managed to stay still, yet inside it was a struggle worse than any other the raven-haired man ever had. And he swore to make sure Franky let another specialist take a look at Kid, in case he made any mistakes.

  
  


Kid still didn't move.

"I'll need you to remove your shirt before I can examine you." Law remarked patiently. That seemed to shake the other out of whatever stupor he seemed to be in. He turned his attention to preparing the stethoscope for the examination, while the other pulled off his shirt. Without hesitation or self-consciousness as far as he could tell from the corner of his eye. But Kid was always good at playing though so it didn't say anything about how the red-head felt about his body at the moment.

  
  


"May I begin?" He asked fully turning back to the other man. He almost gasped as the air refused to enter his lungs.

The wounds caused by the accident must have been truly gruesome, marring the body Law once explored and could tell each little curve and angle of. The thick scars previously hidden by a shirt, were now shown to run all the way down the left side of the man's chest and torso. Some ending all the way down disappearing under the rim of the trousers.

His hands felt shaky as he put the ear tips of his stethoscope in, still desperately trying to keep up his usual cool and distant attitude. He took hold of the chest-piece with his slender fingers intent on starting the examination.

  
  


His hand wavered before he put the diaphragm slightly to the left side of Kids chest, trying to avoid the thick scar tissue to be able to hear better in case there would be any murmurs or other extraordinary sound. The red-head shivered slightly. The device was probably cold and the other was always rather sensitive to the lower temperatures. Some things apparently stayed unchanged after all.

  
  


Law closed his eyes to better concentrate on the familiar procedure. Funny enough Kids deep and measured breaths were way more calming to him than all of his own attempts to will his mind to slow down. It helped him to keep it together and proceed.

  
  


“I’d like to check the pulse in the arteries of your upper body, if that’s alright Eustass-ya?” Law asked, willing his voice not to quiver. “Sure, go ahead...” A wave of relief washed over Law, for one of his fears turned our irrational after all. Yet Kids usually full of emotion voice, was kind of subdued and rather quiet. Hoarse almost. For the first time the dark haired man wondered how the other was coping with this unexpected situation.

The doctor started with the carotid artery, firmly putting two fingers on the right spot on the red-heads neck. He didn’t have to search, not on Kid, he still exactly knew where to find his former lovers pulse.

  
  


***************

  
  


Kid was too shocked to stop Franky from leaving him alone with the very familiar man he brought with him and before he realized the door closed behind the blue-hair.

Trafalgar Law. A person he never thought he'd see again. At first sight the other didn't seem to have changed much. The same jet black hair in an eternally tousled state, with some strands falling onto the other's forehead. The light coloured eyes that varied from icy blue to light grey depending on how the light hit them. The slender form and inconspicuous posture.

But the longer he looked the more seemed off. The others frame seemed somewhat thinner, the doctors uniform hanging more loosely than it probably should. The eye colour popped out even more now, due to the addition of some impressive dark circles under them, almost looking like eyeshadow with the thick black lashes framing them.

Law seemed tense, despite his perfect poker face. But Kid was sure he didn't look very relaxed himself and who could blame them.

After a few awkward moments, the dark haired approached him saying something about a check-up. Kid was still partially frozen.

Only after the other remarked he'd need to take off his shirt, he snapped out of it. He didn't leave himself the time to think about how much more uncomfortable it was to strip in front of his former lover now, than it would have been in front of an unknown doctor.

Kid didn't even realize that Law turned somewhat to the side giving him privacy, until the other turned back to him fully, to go on with what was about to be the most awkward examination in history.

The whole procedure was nerve wracking. The red-head stayed as tense as a brick wall in order to keep his body from reacting in any way to the clinical touches of the long cold fingers. He only said something once when asked, but barely remembered that. What he remembered however was the others startled reaction to that, disappearing in a split second, yet not quick enough for him not to notice.

He tried not to stare at the other and ended up awkwardly looking to the side, feeling incredibly ridiculous. However, saying something wasn't an option. After all what was he supposed to say to someone who he had no contact with in over two years and after a shitty breakup.

But no matter how much he avoided looking at Law, he still saw glimpses of the face concentrating on the task and the delicate hands resolutely following well practised patterns.

He had to suppress the incoming shudder after each touch, making him even more stiff than before.

The examination took an eternity when the raven-haired finally stepped away.

"Everything seems to be alright so far. But some more detailed tests need to be made."

Kid finally collected the courage to look up directly into the other's face again when the other started talking. He felt a mix of disappointment and relief realizing that Law wasn't really looking at him either, the blue eyes skipping between the notepad now in his hands and a point somewhere past the red-head.

It gave him an opportunity to study that familiar yet foreign face a little more at least. From the short distance the dark shadows on Law's face looked more like bruises and his usually somewhat tan skin looked too ashy to be healthy. Kid's non-existent brows involuntarily drew together as he watched the other.

Only when Law cleared his throat pointedly he realized that Law stopped talking, and he himself didn't listen to anything that was said. In fact the previously dodgy eyes of the other man, were now looking straight at him for the first time today.

His heart felt like if it has jumped up into his throat blocking the air supply. The time seemed to have stopped entirely for a moment as gold met blue and the atmosphere around them felt more solid than gaseous.

But right when it became unbearable and Kid wanted to say something, the blue orbs turned away again, looking down at the notepad.

"Yhm… I'm sure doctor Cutty can explain everything to you. Due to the emergency he will probably not be able to do that anytime soon though, so I wouldn't wait for him."

The others voice sounded a little less collected now, than it did before. Or maybe Kid was just imagining it.

"Good day Eustass-ya." Law said quietly and before he could collect his thoughts and actually return anything, the other turned away and left the examination room. Swiftly but quietly, leaving the red-head alone with his swirling thoughts and feelings.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Oh man, I did menage to at least start to write a continuation for "Road's End"... It was kinda hard and I'm not sure when or if at all I will be able to continue it but I'll try X0 
> 
> For now this is out there and I hope it was ok to read. Let me know if some things were unclear or if you have any questions! X3 
> 
> Have an amazing day (or night)! *hugs*


End file.
